Chapter 32

Thanks for your support I'm releasing the promised chapters.

Let's do another 10 reviews and 100 stones and there will be more chapters.

If you want to read advanced chapters and help me out:

patreon.com/FanFictionPremium.

Enjoy reading.

---

Leon's reaction to the news that Murasame had been stolen made Esdeath speechless for a moment. For a while, he only looked at the girl with an expressive gaze with a mute question - "You managed to whistle the teigu...?". But these were the words that followed, "Never mind..." - Leon said then, continuing to eat.

At that moment, Esdeath didn't know how to react. She had expected him to be at the very least just angry, at the most enraged, but there wasn't even any disappointment in his voice. To take the missing teigu so calmly... even she would have struggled to contain her emotions in such a case. If Leon's words were to be believed, then sooner or later he would simply return the teigu, just as he had once obtained it.

Esdeath felt much lighter at the very fact that her lover didn't blame her for losing Murasame. But despite Leon's words... she was still partly to blame for the loss of the teigu, and so at the moment Esdeath felt that if anyone had to get Murasame back, it was her. Fortunately, her squad's main task was precisely to find and eliminate Night Raid, and Esdeath, like Leon, knew exactly who had the sword. But that would happen sometime in the near future, and right now the girl was focused on the present. She and Leon had three free days before they went back to work. Esdeath realised that in just three days, no matter how much she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to make much progress with her boyfriend. But Esdeath had a chance to get to know Leon better, and that was what she would do.

***

The next morning Leon sat on the sofa in the living room and read all the letters he had received during the three days he had been unconscious. The letters were from the relatives of the dead, who had been sent money from the imperial treasury at his request. The boy was pleased to read how they thanked him for his help and wrote good wishes. But he was distracted from reading by the sound of footsteps behind him. Leon turned round and looked at Esdeath, who was walking round the house in a shirt and skirt, drinking coffee from a mug and thinking about something.

Yesterday, in the evening, when the sun was beginning to set, the boy noticed that the girl was not going anywhere. And politely asking if she wanted to return to her apartment in the palace, he received an immediate answer - no. And the reason was that Leon was officially on sick leave, and therefore the girl still had to look after him. That's what Esdeath had said, but in reality it was nothing more than a valid reason for her to spend more time with Leon. Fortunately, there were three bedrooms in the manor, and after choosing one of the spare rooms, Esdeath simply drifted off to sleep. But when Leon woke up and came out of his room, he saw the girl walking freely in a white unbuttoned shirt around the manor as if she were at home. And apparently she was not embarrassed by it at all.

Esdeath noticed the guy's gaze and looked down at her coffee, then smiled oddly and went into the kitchen. Leon smirked with the edge of his lips, let out a faint chuckle and looked out the window, putting the letters aside. It was only early morning, most of the townspeople hadn't even woken up yet, and the weather was sunny.

"Hmm... Maybe we should pay Yagi a visit?" - Leon thought, remembering the inventor girl. He had nothing to do, so he could safely visit his acquaintance. Besides, he was curious to see how the development of the weapon was progressing.

Meanwhile, footsteps were heard from the kitchen again, and as Leon was about to turn round, Esdeath put down a second mug of coffee and sat down beside him.

- Try it. - Esdeath said, smiling embarrassedly and looking at the guy expectantly.

Leon looked at Esdeath for a moment, then took the mug and took a sip, eyeing the drink a little.

- It's delicious. You're really good at this. - And he wasn't lying, the coffee did taste good. And he drank it a lot in cafes and at work.

- I'm glad to hear that. - Esdeath smiled happily at this compliment.

For a while they just drank coffee without saying anything, but the girl decided to ask:

- Leon, do you have plans for today?

- Yes. I wanted to visit an acquaintance of mine.

- What acquaintance? - Esdeath asked with genuine curiosity, and perhaps it seemed to Leon, but for a moment he felt threatened by the girl's voice.

- She's an armourer who custom makes weapons and equipment for Imperpol. I usually give her the blueprints for firearms, but not long ago I gave her an idea for a new weapon... and I was curious as to how her work was progressing. - Leon replied.

- О~! So all those weapons that your and Anna's soldiers are running around with are all your work. - Esdeath said with a smirk. - I didn't expect you to be a gunsmith as well.

- No." Leon dismissed her at once. - I'm definitely not a gunsmith. I was just lucky enough to have weapons blueprints on hand and memorise them. Yagi, on the other hand, is a real talent. Not many people can modernise weapons like that.

- Hm~... You've piqued my interest. I'm even curious to see this miracle weapon maker.

- Why don't we go see her then? - Leon suggested it.

- I'm in. - I'm all for it. - But you don't mind if we go somewhere else afterwards.

- I don't mind. But I'm curious, where exactly?

- Secret.

***

Yagi sat in her office, filling out paperwork. She was in a good mood, but, alas, if there was anything she lacked now, it was the opportunity to demonstrate her new creation. Anna had no time to visit her friend because of work, and Leon, as she found out later, was on sick leave. This was very discouraging, but she was still glad, because she had done it - created her own weapon! And she had been inspired to do it by Leon himself when he said: "It should be as simple as a shot."

"I hope he gets well soon..." - thought Yagi, as she just wanted to demonstrate her invention as soon as possible.

A knock on the door was heard, and putting aside her pen, the girl asked:

- Who's there?

- Leon. - The boy answered briefly.

The girl went to the door and opened it immediately, seeing a young man who looked healthy and well. Yagi was about to greet Leon and congratulate him on his recovery, but when she noticed the girl next to him, she immediately froze.

Everyone who lived in the Capital had heard of General Esdeath, and if their work was military-related, they knew a little more than others. And so Yagi was lucky enough to work in an industrial district where Esdeath sometimes sent orders for new torture instruments. A couple of such orders were on the girl's hands, and as she examined the goods in more detail, a cold sweat ran down her body.

- Yagi? - Leon addressed her.

Coming to her senses, she coughed into her fist and spoke:

- I apologise. I wasn't expecting anyone today... nor was I expecting such a famous guest...' Yagi said as she bowed to Esdeath.

- Understandable. - said Leon, also transferring his gaze to his companion. - Esdeath, let me introduce our armourer, Yagi Ormfoot.

- Pleased to meet you..." said Yagi with a nervous nod.

- Nice to meet you too. - Esdeath greeted calmly.

- I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand, I was just wondering how the weapon development was going.

Hearing about the development, Yagi came to her senses, even Esdeath's presence stopped bothering her.

- Let's go. - Yagi said in a serious voice.

After locking her office and gesturing for her to follow her, she walked briskly towards the workshop, followed by Leon and Esdeath.

- I'm actually quite surprised. I didn't think you would bring such a famous person.

- She was curious to see the man who makes weapons for Imperpol.

- I see... By the way, why are you two together? Well, I mean, in general.

- She... - Leon didn't even have time to answer clearly before Esdeath interrupted him:

- His girlfriend. - she said.

Yagi stumbled and fell to the floor, and when she got up, she looked at Leon with a perplexed look.

- That's not quite right... it's a bit more complicated than that. - Leon tried to justify himself.

- But you don't deny it. - Esdeath added with a sly smile.

- Uh-huh... I get it. - said Yagi, still shocked by this news, and continued walking.

The girl did not bring up the conversation again, but only quickened her step. When she reached the workshop and unlocked the door, she went straight to the table where the army box was lying. Opening it, the girl looked at her creation and smiled.

- Look. - Yagi said, stepping aside.

Leon went to the box, carefully took out an automatic rifle and began to examine the weapon from all sides. Esdeath also came closer to examine the weapon.

- A large calibre automatic rifle, made especially for elite soldiers. Effective at medium and long ranges. It has two firing modes: automatic and semi-automatic. - Yagi began to describe her creation.

Leon took the automatic rifle more comfortably and took aim, then removed the magazine from it and looked in the box.

- The magazine holds thirty rounds. - Yagi added.

- Can I take a look? - Esdeath asked.

Leon handed the gun to the girl without further ado, and she began to look at it the same way.

- And you said you had no ideas of your own. - Leon said with a grin.

- It was you who inspired me. As you put it ... "everything should be as simple as the shot itself".

- You give it a name yet?

- The Ormfoot-24. Or just AO-24.

- I can try it out, right?

- Leon. Of course you can. You're kind of the father of this weapon. - said Yagi affectionately.

***

Leon stood at the firing range and tested the machine gun for accuracy. As Yagi said, the shots from the AO-24 were much more accurate than from the same submachine gun. The girl herself watched with pride as Leon hit targets at a distance of 300-400 metres, and Esdeath only watched with interest.

- I think I'm beginning to understand why Leon was so interested in the development. This weapon is really very effective.

- I'm glad to hear that. - Yagi said as she continued to watch the shooting. - By the way... are you and Leon really a couple now?

- Why do you ask? - Esdeath asked.

- I'm just curious. I'm kind of even happy for both of you.

- Well~... like Leon said, it's a bit more complicated than that. We're learning a little about each other right now.

- So you're not a couple? - With a sceptical look at her, Yagi asked.

- We are a couple! - Esdeath answered firmly.

Yagi looked perplexed at Esdeath, who, in her opinion, didn't quite know who Leon was now. But it was at that very moment that she had a question that might well explain everything:

- Mistress Esdeath. - addressed Yagi. - May I ask...have you...had a boyfriend before?

- ...No." replied Esdeath in a quiet voice, embarrassed.

"I see..."

- I can't give you any good advice. But still, if you get a chance, ask for advice from someone who already has a mate.

- Hm... - Esdeath thought for a moment, and then enthusiastically slammed her fist against her palm. - That's really good advice!" she said, looking at her companion again. - What about you?

- Me?" Yagi said, pointing her finger at herself.

- Did you have a date? - Esdeath asked, immediately deciding to look for a counsellor.

- As if yes... but... - Yagi hesitated a little with the answer. - I can't give advice. It didn't add up...

- I'm sorry... I didn't mean to....

- No, it's okay. It was a long time ago, and I'm not quite old yet. Maybe I'll get lucky soon.

Leon, meanwhile, finished target shooting and went back to the girls.

- You say you made it specially for elite soldiers? - Leon clarified, putting the machine gun back in the box.

- It seems to me that they will enjoy running around with such a weapon.

- I agree, some of the soldiers complained about the range of fire, and I think they will like the new machine gun. By the way, does Anna know about this machine gun?

- Yes, I sent her a letter. But she can't find the time to come round and see me.

- Okay. Is there anything else you'd like to show me?

- No... not at the moment. But in the future, I'm sure I can surprise you with something. I've already got a couple of ideas.

- Good for you. Well, then Esdeath and I will go.

- Yeah. (chuckles) Have a good day. - Yagi said goodbye as she was leaving.

- Yagi. - Leon turned to her.

- М?

- Congratulations. You invented the weapon yourself!

The girl smiled and, waving goodbye to the couple, headed for her office.

***

- You know, I like your friend.

- I'm glad to hear it. By the way, why don't you tell me where you're taking me?

- No." Esdeath replied shortly.

Esdeath, as she had said in the morning, was taking Leon to a place she wanted to show him. But as they walked down the street, he began to notice the looks gathering on both of them. The young man, actually, as well as the girl, did not pay much attention to it - curious looks were gathering on him before. Only this time they looked at him differently: with some apprehension, surprise, or even admiration.

- Esdeath, nothing interesting has happened in these three days? - The boy decided to clarify.

Esdeath looked at Leon, who was glancing at the people who were all looking at them as one, and smirked a little.

- Yes, I forgot to tell you that you have become a real celebrity. - Esdeath replied.

- Me?" asked Leon with some surprise.

- You defeated three Teigu owners and were able to fight me on equal terms. Naturally, the news of this spread quickly and you became quite a topic of discussion. - explained the girl.

- Hmm... - he stretched out thoughtfully.

- By the way, would you like some ice cream? - Esdeath asked.

- I wouldn't say no.

When Esdeath answered positively, she led Leon to a newly opened café on the main street. As they approached the place, Leon noticed a remarkable sign that he had seen before.

- Good... - wanted to greet the owner, but when he saw two generals, one of whom was a young man he knew, he interrupted, - ...day.

Leon also remembered the owner of the cafe. He didn't know that he had moved from Roine (a city in the North) to the capital of the Empire. The cafe was obviously bigger than before, but there were no customers in sight.

- Would you like something? - A man asked.

- Chocolate. - Leon answered briefly.

- I'll have a blueberry. - said Esdeath.

- Just a moment. - The café owner nodded and started ordering.

Leon and Esdeath took one of the tables and waited for the ice cream.

- Do you know each other? - Esdeath asked, noticing the way the café owner and Leon looked at each other.

- Not exactly. I used to frequent his café when it was in Royne. I didn't realise you had moved. - Leon turned to the owner.

- I just had enough money to move and open a café here. - he explained. - By the way, your order is ready.

The owner put two glasses on the table, each with three marbles in it. Leon reached into his pocket to take out his wallet, going to pay for the ice cream, but the owner stopped him.

- It's on the house. - The owner said with a smirk, and Leon felt a kind of deja vu for a second.

Leon this time did not inquire about the owner's generosity and just started eating the ice cream he had ordered.

- Leon. - Esdeath addressed the boy.

- М?

- Try one. - She offered, handing Leon a spoonful of her ice cream.

The young man was a little embarrassed by this, but still nodded in agreement. The girl, smiling, presented the spoon closer, and the young man, slightly opening his mouth, tasted the sweetness.

- Mmm... delicious. - Leon said, looking at the girl's satisfied face, which immediately changed to a confused one when the young man handed the girl a spoonful of chocolate ice cream. - Try some. - The boy offered this time.

The girl was a little confused, but when Leon brought the spoon closer, she immediately tasted the ice cream and blushed.

- Did you like it?

- Yes. - Esdeath said without hiding the joy in her voice.

Meanwhile, the owner, who was watching the whole thing from the side, smiled involuntarily, looking at the couple.

"Told me you'd go far." - he grinned.

***

Esdeath walked out of the café with a high spirits. Everything was going perfectly so far, but before she reached her destination, she needed a little more time until later in the evening. To do so, she began to take Leon around the city, as if taking a walk. Esdeath was fine with that, and Leon didn't really mind just walking around.

The whole walk was brightened up by talking about almost nothing - talking for the sake of talking. So, Leon learnt that Esdeath was not much into politics and was more interested in battles. And, having broached the subject of battles, she decided to ask Leon about the most memorable battle he had fought in. This question made Leon hesitate, but he had something to tell, namely about the operation in the Ardennes. He had to brighten up a bit so as not to mention some of the names, names and states from his home world. But Esdeath was intensely interested in it, especially Blitzkrieg. As a result, Leon had to explain in detail what the method of waging a fast war and its peculiarities were, and the girl took out a notebook from somewhere and began to write it all down with zeal.

Esdeath led Leon to the palace in the evening. The boy didn't really understand what they were doing here, but the girl just led him along. There were no problems with the guards, Leon as a general was allowed to visit the palace freely. And, having passed through the guard post, the guy followed Esdeath.

***

- What do you think? - Esdeath asked, leaning against the fence.

Leon, on the roof of the palace, was mesmerised by the night Capital. From here, it seemed incredibly small, but if you reached out, you were already near the high walls that protected the city. And the cloudless starry night offered a view of the moon, which lit up the city like the morning sun.

- It's beautiful. - answered the young man, also leaning on the fence next to the girl, looking at the Capital illuminated by the lights.

- Yes... - agreed Esdeath, looking into the distance.

Leon, felt the girl's slightly cool palm take his hand. The guy looked at Esdeath, who was now smiling embarrassedly.

- You know... this is the first time I've ever felt like this, but... being in love isn't so bad.

- Heh... and this is the girl I had to fight in the Colosseum. - Also embarrassed, Leon spoke with irony in his voice.

- It was necessary for me. I just couldn't let someone weak get that close to me. But you are not weak. Even though you collapsed there in the arena, drained of your strength... before you did what no one has ever done before - you chopped up my rapier. You did not win. But you didn't lose.

- Where did you get this obsession with strength? - I thought I'd ask the lad.

- Have you ever heard of the Partas clan? - Esdeath asked, receiving a negative shake of her head. - It was a clan of hunters who specialised in killing dangerous beasts. My upbringing was handled by my father, while my mother... was eaten by dangerous beasts on a hunt. "Survival of the fittest and the weakest die" was the philosophy of my clan. But at one point... when I returned from the hunt, I found my entire clan wiped out. As it turned out, another tribe that had crossed the border had attacked the clan. My father lay bloodied, impaled by spears, and before he died he said to me, "The fact that we lost means we are weak... Live and be strong...".

- So you lost your relatives too..." Leon said with sympathy in his voice.

- Yes... I still regret the loss of my father even now, but... he died because he was weak.

- I see...

- Leon... Maybe you can tell me a little about yourself too?

Leon lowered his head slightly so that the girl couldn't see his gaze. And after a couple of minutes of silence, he spoke:

- It was six years ago. My sister and I went to the bakery just to get some fresh pastries, and when we came back... we saw people crowded around the house. My parents were killed and my sister and I were orphaned, as we had no other relatives. Then I had no one left but my sister, and I started looking after her, all the time feeling afraid that I might lose her as I had lost my parents. We spent the next three years in the orphanage: it was a time of peace, but it ended when the soldiers came to the orphanage. They were looking for pure-blooded Aryans among the children, and my sister and I were one of them. Then we were transferred to the Lebensborn orphanage, where they made "true Aryans" out of children like us. - Leon paused, and Esdeath, not wanting to interrupt, listened attentively. - But their main goal was much larger: to breed super-soldiers, or, as we were called, "crowned". And I was one of those who successfully passed the experiments and gained the power desired by the scientists. But..." Leon clenched his hands into fists, and moisture began to gather in his eyes. - "Not everyone could become 'crowned'... my sister... Sophie..."

Esdeath put her hand on the boy's shoulder, and he looked at her and saw the worry in her gaze.

- You don't have to tell me everything...

- It's okay... honestly. - Leon assured her, and then continued. - One night I heard her scream and when I ran to it, I saw her already... dead. Blood was flowing from her glass eyes like tears. At that moment, I went completely insane, frantic. Then I just started killing... Everyone who worked in that institution had to die, no matter what kind of people they were. And when I had finished with all the guilty, I returned to my sister's body and, taking her hand, I lay down beside her.

For several minutes the couple remained silent. Esdeath saw how hard it was for Leon to remember the past, but she also noticed that he needed to tell at least someone about the past.

- What happened then?

- For a while I just lay in a coma with psychological trauma. It was like the whole world stopped existing for me. But even after what I'd done, they didn't want to get rid of me. On the contrary, they wanted to bring me out of the coma and make me a soldier loyal to my country. And they succeeded in changing my mind.

- How's that?

- It's like the painting. It's just painted over with white paint, but you know there was something painted on it, but you can't remember what it was. And they took advantage of that white spot and managed to change your memories by painting a different picture. So up until a certain point, I served those people.

- ...Do you feel very sorry for the loss of your sister?

- Very much. But recently, I saw her in a dream. And I know she's sleeping peacefully in her room. - Leon raised his head, his gaze fixed on the starry sky, and a sad smile appeared on his face.

- You've really been through a lot.

- You know... if you think about it... From the very beginning, the Crowned Ones were created to create a force that could, as the scientists put it, "fight and protect their country for a thousand years". So I'm essentially a kind of intelligent Teygu. A living weapon..." Leon was slapped before he could finish.

Taking the boy by the collar, Esdeath glared menacingly at her lover.

- Don't you dare compare yourself to a weapon! - Almost shouting, the girl said firmly. - You are not a Teigu! Weapons are not capable of feeling feelings! Do you understand me?!

- Esdeath..." Leon said in surprise, looking at the girl, who continued to hold him by the collar with a stern look.

- You're a human being, Leon. Not a weapon or some puppet, but a human being. A man...whom I love! And I promise I will never leave you alone! - Esdeath spoke with all the determination and the same seriousness as before.

Leon looked at Esdeath with undisguised shock. He hadn't expected that by comparing himself to a weapon, he would bring such a violent reaction from the girl.

- I'm sorry... and thank you. - Leon thanked her sincerely.

- You're welcome. - Esdeath said, hugging the boy with a kind smile. - And don't you dare compare yourself to a weapon again.

- Understood. - he replied succinctly.

- Now let's go. It's nighttime, so we'll have to spend the night in the palace.

- And where will I have to spend the night? - Leon asked.

- In my room, of course. - Esdeath answered as a matter of course.

- What...?